Why Jake Paul’s in Trouble With Puerto Rican Authorities

Jake Paul is already in trouble with authorities in his new home of Puerto Rico after purchasing a $10 million house with brother Logan Paul on Dorado Beach earlier this year. The controversial YouTube personality is under investigation, Puerto Rican authorities confirmed to E! News Sunday after he shared a video to Instagram riding a motorized vehicle on the beach — an activity that is not allowed in order to protect nesting turtles.

Secretary of natural and environmental resources Rafael Marchargo said in a statement to the outlet, “I have ordered an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the use of two motor vehicles on beaches that are presented to be in Puerto Rico.” After seeing the video of Paul doing a possibly “prohibited” activity, Marchargo said the influencer could face fines and other penalties if the investigation determines the video was filmed on the Puerto Rico beach recently.

“Although the video does not establish where or when it was carried out, the DNER reminds citizens that this type of activity is prohibited by law to protect the environment and the species that can nest or live on the beaches,” he explained. A source close to Paul told E! News that the YouTuber didn’t know about the turtle nesting and assumed he was allowed to ride his motorized vehicle after seeing others do so. He is reportedly willing to cooperate with Puerto Rican authorities to help protect and preserve the beach wildlife.

This isn’t Paul’s first run-in with the law. Last year, he was charged with Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly after he and his friends recorded themselves entering the Fashion Square mall in Scottsdale, Arizona after the retail space was closed following Black Lives Matter protests. In April of this year, TikTok star Justin Paradise accused Paul of sexual assault, alleging he forced her to perform oral sex on him at his Team 10 house in California in July of 2019.

Paradise explained that she decided to tell her story because she previously signed a non-disclosure agreement and believed she “wasn’t allowed to talk” about her experience. Actress Railey Lollie would come forward shortly after in an interview with The New York Times to share her own experience with Paul allegedly assaulting her, claiming he groped her in late 2017. Paul denied Paradise’s allegations in a statement posted on his Twitter, calling them “100% false” at the time. No charges have been brought against him in either case.